The Beauty Industry Creates 120 Billion Units of Plastic Waste Every Year. Melodie Reynolds Shows Us a Better Way Forward.

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"You don't need seven lipsticks, but the beauty industry will tell you that you should buy seven lipsticks," says Melodie Reynolds.

There's a charge behind Reynold's voice. Still, the founder of ELATE Beauty, a sustainable cosmetics company, admits she too was once duped by "the shame-based marketing" fueled by large beauty companies. She was even inadvertently part of it earlier in her career, as she worked in beauty marketing and sales for large companies. She began to see the unethical pressure behind these companies and a drive to push people to buy more. The businesses were creating more products housed in packages that ended up in landfills—an estimated 120 billion pieces worth each year.

 
 

The tipping point for Reynolds came during a meeting. When she and colleagues were discussing ways to create storytelling around potential green initiatives, a senior employee casually said, "just put it in a green bottle." It was a hard lesson on the realness of greenwashing, says Reynolds. "It was never more apparent to me than in that moment that I was in the wrong place."

Reynolds put herself in the right place. Fueled with a drive to create beauty products that were kind to people and the planet, she founded Elate Beauty, a B-Corp-certified ethical cosmetics line focused on refillable packaging. Since its conception in 2024, ELATE has diverted 1.3 million packages from going to landfills—a feat for a single company. As Reynolds says, the journey has been about "how we can take a product from idea, from conception all the way to end of life, and make every single moment of that product's life cycle better—for the people making it, for the person buying it, and for the planet."

Reynolds walks us through more of her journey, starting a conscious brand. As she shares with us, our self-care rituals should never be harmful and filled with shame; they should be only practices that lift us. 

Melodie Reynolds on Creating a Better Beauty Future

#1: Environmental Citizenship at Its Core

"The thing that always attracted me the most to the beauty industry was the ability to help people feel good about themselves and use marketing as a tool for storytelling, to allow individuals to determine how the things they purchased made their lives better, and all without costing the planet. The very first salon I ever worked in was an environmentally friendly salon where we refilled all our shampoos. This was back in 1999! So being a good environmental citizen has always been important to me."

#2: The Shame-Based Marketing of Beauty

"As I worked in the beauty industry, I started to see that the values I held strongly were only very surface values [in the companies]. This all started to accumulate for me around 2008 when I was in a big marketing meeting at the company I worked for because a new demographic was identified: the LOHAS— a lifestyle of health and sustainability—demographic. It was a demographic that transcended socioeconomic status and included all genders and ages. These were individuals who wanted to choose products about living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

#3: The Unsustainable Issue of Products

"The beauty industry gets people to buy tons of products, and all of that product ends up in the landfill. Then they feel bad about themselves, so then they buy more products. It's just a vicious cycle, contributing to the statistic of 120 billion plastic packages being made every year for the beauty industry. All of those end up in the landfill. We now have new recycling programs that are helping to try to curb some of that waste, but the biggest problem is that all of those packages still get made. That's enough for everyone on the planet to have a bag full of plastic stuff that they're going to dispose of every year. Those things inspired me to look at how we could do things differently."

 
 

#4: Bringing the Kindness and Joy Back to Beauty

"I started to feel like it was a burden putting on my makeup or trying to choose a new skin cream. It felt like it was something I was being forced to participate in. When all those things came together and converged for me, I thought beauty was supposed to be about joy. It's supposed to be about using the tools of adornment to perform your beauty ritual every morning and put your best face forward, whether it's makeup or brushing your teeth. The fact that we all have some type of beauty ritual in the morning means that we all have products that we are required to use, so all of those products should be better for the planet. And they should be reusable and refillable. They should be made with materials that are not polluting the environment. They should be made by individuals that aren't forced into slave labor. The beauty industry is fraught with just as many issues. So, for me, it was about how we can take a product from idea, from conception, all the way to end of life and make every single moment of that product's life cycle better—for the people making it, better for the person buying it, and for the planet. It is about having more time and space for joy, and the big part of that joy is not having a bunch of stuff you are ultimately responsible for throwing away.”

#5: Looking Ahead, One Refill at a Time

“Part of the problem is that we get that little delicious dopamine hit when we buy something— that's why retail therapy is real. So what we're trying to do is shift that little dopamine hit to when you refill something. When speaking in public, I have stood up many times and said, 'Who can honestly say they've ever actually finished a full tube of lipstick?' We're trying to create those opportunities.

We're a B Corp-certified company that was important to me from the start. We have a global beauty coalition of all beauty companies that are B Corps, where I sit on that board. One of the things we talk about is how we can use business as a force for good and use the beauty industry as a force for good rather than a tool of oppression. This has all led me from loving lipstick and wanting to help people feel good about themselves to global legislation to ensure that corporations are held accountable for the waste they produce.”

#6: Changing Our Language and Actions

“At ELATE, we've shied away as an organization from using the word ‘consumer’ because when you're trying to create a movement that is completely different from what everyone is used to, you need to change your language. We say 'environmental citizen,' because that is someone thoughtful about resources that they consume. And our beauty consumers are not beauty consumers; they're beauty citizens. That is where ELATE shines. Elate means joyful or prideful, and that's really what it is about. It's also an anagram for ‘everyone who loves a thoughtful experience’ because we felt that so many products are made without the thought and the intention behind them. So it was important to us to make sure that we always hold that in our hearts that everything we make is thoughtful.”

To learn more about ELATE Beauty, visit elatebeauty.com

Interview and words by Stacey Lindsay for PrimaFoodie.

 

Reducing Plastic Is Possible. Here's Where to Start

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At this very moment, 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic are in our oceans, with nearly 270,000 tons floating on the waters' surface. Greenpeace says this is enough plastic to circle the earth more than 400 times. Plastic particles exist in our bodies, landfills, food, and drinks. Not only does plastic debris kill an estimated 1 million sea birds and more than 100,000 marine mammals annually, it is impacting humans' health to grave effects. Research continues to show that chemicals found in many plastics are linked to endocrine disruption, cancer, infertility, early puberty, and other health issues.

 
 

In an idyllic world, the solution would be to eradicate plastic—but that is not the reality. "More than 430 million tons of plastic are produced each year," states the United Nations. Plastic continues to be in demand, as it provides malleable, affordable means for industries to create products and containers. The power lies in finding the instances where plastic is unnecessary and using more sustainable solutions. The power also lies in finding better ways to deal with plastic waste or reusing old plastic to brilliant new sources. This is critical as two-thirds of the 430 million tons produced is "cast aside as waste after just one use," adds the UN.

This is one of the most large-scale human and environmental health issues of our time. It will take massive collective efforts from companies and from us, in small ways, in our homes. Here, we've rounded up easy product swaps from companies that are either avoiding plastic or reusing it intelligently.

Plastic can seem like a daunting problem to tackle, but we can make a dent—a giant one. Cumulatively, our habit changes and adjustments have a big impact. 

Blisshaus Baking Pantry Set
All-glass and chic, these jars make for a beautiful organized pantry.

Davids Toothpaste
Turns out, it is possible to have a non-plastic toothpaste tube—and this clean formula is also free of sodium lauryl sulfate.

EcoZoi Bamboo Kitchen Towels
With these, there’s zero need for plastic or paper cleaning supplies.

Jonathan Spoons Spootle
Hand-made, all-wood, and an inventive ladle-meets-spatula design.

Tallowderm Deodorant
Natural coconut oil and beef tallow make for a hardworking natural deodorant, all smartly housed in a glass jar.

Ambrosia Linen Vegetable Bag
These linen bags keep bacteria and mold at bay, extending the life of vegetables and eradicating any need for zip-plastic bags.

Flamingo Estate Douglas Fir & Vetiver Body Set
A blend of juniper, lavender, and vetiver infuses this set of body oil, body wash, and soap. We love how this company goes to great lengths to rid plastic and care for the earth.

If You Care Parchment Baking Paper
The ultimate option for baking and cooking that is chlorine- and plastic-free

Cocofloss Floss
We’ll say it: This is the best floss out there. Plus, the company reuses plastic in the most genius way.

Flavedo & Albedo Dew Tint
A clean blush, lip, and eye color housed in a plastic-free tin.

Stella McCartney Logo Large Tote Bag
Nichole loves this luxury tote, made of vegan leather. “It serves as a shopping bag, travel tote and carry-on, and it’s stylish year-round,” she says.

 
 

Plastic Is Everywhere. These Founders Are Building a Beauty Company Without It

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By Stacey Lindsay

Plastic is part of countless items we reach for, from our phones to our toothbrushes to our clothing. It's a fast, inexpensive, malleable resource to create, making it a go-to material for manufacturers worldwide. But just as plastic offers practicality, its widespread use and poor waste management have led to gigantic environmental challenges and personal consequences. More and more studies show how this forever material takes residence in our bodies, oceans, landfills, and air. Plastic is everywhere.

What is encouraging is to see innovative companies creating ways around a dependence on plastic. Case in point: Flavedo and Albedo. Founded by Aleks Allen, Emily Perrett, and Toby Norris, three creative and design agency alums, this Australian-based makeup company uses zero plastics in its packaging. It's a rare feat in this industry, given that the beauty industry is overflowing with products housed in plastics, most of which are not even recyclable. This fact concerned the founders, so much so that they had to create something different. "We wanted to reconcile our love of makeup and our concern around plastic packaging and landfill," Allen says. "It was one of those ideas that just wouldn't go away—so we decided it was the right time to build our own."

Talking Plastic-Free Makeup and Innovation with Aleks Allen

What concerns you most about the plastic in our lives today? And how does the cosmetics industry, specifically, contribute to plastic waste?

We love makeup but have always been freaked out by plastic and landfill. Every piece of plastic ever made is still on Earth somewhere, unless it's been burnt. That's a really confronting thought. 

Every year, the beauty industry produces at least 120 billion pieces of plastic packaging. Most of those—the pumps, custom bottles, lids, and palettes—aren't or can't be recycled. The US data says that 91 of those units aren't recycled, and Australia is not much better, at 85 percent. It just seems wrong that your eyeshadow palette should live 500 years longer than you do. 

So, the plastic problem is huge, and recycling plastic won't fix it. We have to stop the new plastic flooding the market every day, which means viable alternatives are needed.

For your company, what do you use in plastic's stead?

We use aluminum because it has the highest recycling rate of all materials, and the process itself is light on emissions. Where that doesn't work for the formula, we use small amounts of glass, with natural cork-lined lids to keep our highlighters airtight. Our secondary packaging is all FSC-certified card and printed with soy-based inks. We use paper tape and untreated boxes. There is zero plastic anywhere. No tubs, no lids, no seals, no nothing.

What are the challenges of creating a beauty brand using no plastic? And what are the joys?

Launching a business during COVID was by far the biggest challenge. Those shipping delays really kept us on edge. From a production POV, developing an airtight lid for our High Glow without using a PE liner for the lid was a pretty big manufacturing and design hurdle. We didn't want to change the mousse formulation, so we wound up using cork instead. Unexpected, but it looks good and does the job perfectly.

The joys are getting a packaging solve that works. And also, that it doesn't force a consumer compromise on aesthetic or product performance.  That's the most rewarding. 

How do you aim to rise above all the plastic clutter and capitalistic noise that is so loud today? 

We focus on what we can control. We built a sustainable business so that we can keep making plastic-free products, one at a time. We hope that this year, sustainability finally comes for beauty. The industry needs to become more aware of the role it plays in our global plastic problem. It really needs to have its "fast fashion—KeepCup year."

To learn more about Flavedo and Albedo, visit flavedoandalbedo.com,

 

This Mom and Toxicology Researcher Couldn't Find Healthy Kid Snacks—So She Made Her Own

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Before founding DeeBee's Organics, Dionne Laslo-Baker, PhD, was frustrated. Nearly all the snacks she found for her kids were filled with chemical ingredients. "I found it challenging to find snacks my kids could enjoy without worrying about artificial additives and flavors," she tells us. 

Like many founders, Dionne took this challenge into her own hands and created her own: DeeBee's Organics, fruit-filled freeze pops and Italian ices made of pure fruit juice and purees and zero fillers.

We caught up with Dionne, who previously worked as a toxicology researcher, to ask how we can all source clean foods and what she wants every consumer to know. 

A Conversation with Dionne Laslo-Baker, PhD

You hold a Ph.D. in maternal-fetal toxicology and worked as a toxicology researcher. What have you brought from your toxicology research to your business, DeeBee's Organics?

My research focused on the effects of chemical exposure during pregnancy on fetal development. This background gave me a deep understanding of organic and natural products science and the importance of avoiding harmful chemicals and additives. At DeeBee's Organics, I apply this knowledge to ensure that our products meet the highest safety and quality standards. 

One of the key things I learned during my education was how to find the answer to difficult questions. Using research and testing, I can separate the facts from the hype and go straight to the source of the science. 

Take us back to before you founded your business. As a mom looking for healthy snacks for your child, what concerned you most, and how did the idea to start DeeBees come about?

I was deeply concerned about the lack of healthy, additive-free snacks for children. One afternoon, while my kids and I were busy in the kitchen—one making tea and the other making popsicles—there was an argument about who Mommy should help. Amid this, my eldest shouted, "Mommy, let's make Teasicles." And there it was. That simple yet brilliant idea inspired the creation of a brand centered around delicious, real fruit-based foods and a commitment to clean ingredients. This idea evolved into our SuperFruit Freezie Pops, which are made with 100 percent fruit juice and puree. 

I also wanted to teach my kids that it's possible to align business with personal values. At DeeBee's, we are proud to be the first B Corporation on Vancouver Island, and we actively support social and environmental causes through initiatives like the DreamLauncher program. This program, which I envision as my ultimate legacy, empowers employees to drive positive change. I aim to build a business with a soul, demonstrating that success and values go hand in hand.

You've created DeeBee's to be both organic and shelf-stable. It seems so many foods today compromise quality and are laden with chemicals to be shelf-stable.  How do you maintain quality in such a giant industry?

When we included "organic" in our company name, it was because I believe it is the foundation for ensuring we always make products I would be proud to give my kids. In a time of rising costs, it is easy for competitors to compromise on organic standards. We will never stray from this commitment. This is about what we feed our kids, how we treat the planet, and how we support the farmers growing our foods. 

Taste is always the priority for our customers. Our team focuses on combining quality ingredients with delicious flavor. Having a well-developed global supply chain with strategic partners allows us to maintain this high standard.

What do you wish people knew more of when it comes to their shelf-stable snacks? 

I wish people knew more about the importance of reading ingredient labels and understanding what goes into their shelf-stable snacks. Many conventional products on store shelves are loaded with artificial additives, preservatives, and unhealthy ingredients to extend their shelf life.

Do you have tips for moms—and anyone—sourcing foods that are better for us?

We often prioritize organic fruits and vegetables, but it's equally important to consider items like freezies and fruit snacks, as they can also contain pesticides and herbicides from their ingredients. Making the right choices can sometimes be overwhelming. I have always used the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen list to prioritize which fruits and vegetables to purchase as organic for maximum impact on my family. 


Lastly, how can we all advocate for more quality foods?

By committing to buying only organic, we help the farms we purchase from grow their businesses and support their workers. These farmers are the backbone of the organic food movement and need our support to flourish.

To learn more about Dionne Laslo-Baker, PhD and DeeBees Organics, visit deebeeorganics.com 

 

Food Activist and Chef Camilla Marcus Is On a Mission to Better Our Food System

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By Stacey Lindsay

Several years ago, I stopped into west~bourne, an eclectic all-day café in NYC’s Soho neighborhood, and had one of my favorite lunches to date: a simple grain bowl with roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, and kale topped with pickled beets and savory tahini. The food was fresh and delicious. But it was the vibe of that warmly lit café that stuck with me. west~bourne exuded the breezy feel of California blended with the sound feeling that the staff truly cared about what they were doing—and serving.

That integrity stems from west~bourne’s founder and owner, Camilla Marcus. A California native and longtime food activist, Marcus has always put the why, how, and who behind what we eat first. She fights for zero waste and honors those who grow, cultivate, cook, and serve our food by giving back to various non-profits. For Marcus, creating food that is “naturally delicious and nutritious” and “better supports a sustainable food system” has always been her drive, she tells us. “It’s the only way to forge a future that we can be proud of passing to the next generation.”

Marcus closed the physical café doors to west~bourne in 2020, but its greater purpose lives on via her new provisions collection of the same name. The west~bourne line consists of sweet and savory snacks (think: organic yellow mushroom popcorn with maple and vanilla and crunchy rice squares with smoked almonds and Japanese togarashi spices), sustainably sourced avocado oil, and spices. Marcus considers everything, from ingredient sourcing to supply chain. “Our production is locally centered with our carbon footprint in mind, and so we can create products that are made up of traceable, responsibly grown ingredients, all while supporting local communities,” she says.

Still fueled by my memorable lunch in NYC, I dug a little deeper into west~bourne’s latest iteration by asking Marcus about her mission and how we all can take part. As Marcus proves, we all can take steps—big and small—toward building a more inclusive and transparent food system. “We love to eat and drink, but our food consumption accounts for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions—one of the largest contributors to climate change. Good news is, we can do something about it.”

 A Conversation with Camilla Marcus

Let’s start out with your new provisions line, west~bourne. Walk us through its zero-waste and inclusive ethos.

Our production is locally centered with our carbon footprint in mind, and so we can create products that are made up of traceable, responsibly grown ingredients, all while supporting local communities.  Our packaging is on the cutting edge of sustainability technology and is made with a variety of low-impact, recyclable, and compostable materials. We’re obsessive about our supply chain as well, which includes a proprietary network of local partners to minimize transportation impact and utilize innovative and regenerative farming practices as well.

We offset the carbon footprint of all orders by purchasing climate credits through The Garcia River Forest Project, a redwood forest preservation and management project in Northern California that protects carbon reservoirs, preserves wildlife habitats, reduces risk of wildfires, and safeguards the California watershed. Our customers can also match our donation directly during checkout as well, which gives them the opportunity to make their orders carbon negative. 

What is the greater social mission behind west~bourne?

Food has the power to forge connections and nourish a community. Our mission is to harness the supernatural power of vegetables to invite more people to the table together to transform plant based, zero waste eating that sustains our health—of our own bodies and our planet. 

What sparked your advocacy work for giving back and paying attention to people first?

My upbringing centered around being a generous and thoughtful member of our community.  Both of my parents were active through regular volunteering and leadership in philanthropic organizations throughout Los Angeles. Being an active part of my neighborhood fueled my soul.

While I was in culinary school, I was also part of the opening team at dell’anima, which had an incredible decade run in the West Village. That experience was a crash course in figuring out all the elements that come together to make a restaurant run smoothly—and it’s also where I fell in love with the hospitality industry and the people who dedicate everything to taking care of others. My first restaurant family was where I started integrating my environmentally focused practices that I grew up into how food is crafted for our neighborhoods, through creating a composting system for the restaurant and implementing an energy-efficient lighting system. This ultimately drove me to want to build west~bourne the cafe, which was the first zero waste certified restaurant in Manhattan. We partnered with The Robin Hood Foundation to forge a unique closed loop giveback system with The Door to support our team growth and local job development. When COVID started, I knew I could not be idle while our whole industry and our beloved teams were left without government support, particularly given those who work in restaurants can’t work from home.  So, I jumped into action immediately as a founding member of both ROAR and the IRC, fighting daily for relief. 

The other element of advocacy work that is very important to me is centered around childcare. Hospitality workers do not work a traditional 9-5, Monday through Friday job. Women and in particular mothers make up a significant portion of this industry, but the structural childcare system in this country categorically excludes hospitality workers, which is shocking when you consider restaurants are the second largest private employer in the country. You are faced with having to choose between your work or your family—which is no choice at all—and it's imperative that this changes. I’m very focused on driving legislative policy to address this inequity so all parents, especially those in our industry who dedicate so much to others, can have the right to earn a living, build a career, and take care of their families. 

How can we all be advocates of zero waste at home?

Everyone can take little steps to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle at home for themselves.

·   Plan your meals out ahead of your weekly shopping routine so that you are not buying in excess.

·   Use the full fruit or vegetable. The ends of carrots, radish greens, or even onion peels can be repurposed into more than we think if we get creative.

·   If space and resources permit, grow your own vegetables. Even an apartment dweller can grow herbs in a kitchen windowsill.

·   It’s equally important to address proper food storage in your home.  Small adjustments like keeping produce in organic cotton mesh bags to keep them fresh and dairy in the back of the fridge where it stays coldest or separating out the items, such as bananas or avocados, that can speed up the ripening of everything around them can have a significant compound effect. 

·   Lastly, composting goes a long way. Start with a compost system you could keep on the counter or under the sink and use it to collect scraps, eggs shells, banana peels and other biodegradable matter. If you have an outdoor space, you can compost the materials in your backyard, or you can dispose of it at a collection site or community garden. Many major cities are making composting a requirement and can provide additional resources. 

Simple, mindful steps can add up if we do it together.  We can all be part of a collective work in progress. Just put one foot in front of the other. 


Furthermore, how can we all advocate for more inclusivity in the food industry?

Each of us has the power in our daily lives as individuals or through our businesses to take some action to promote food access.  Our system has deeply rooted issues that can only be addressed over time through committed collective effort, whether that’s helping build awareness, supporting others in their equity work, or creating programs through your own ventures.

You can learn more about Camilla Marcus, her advocacy work, and west~bourne at west-bourne.com

 

What Is “Inclusive Beauty”? Meet the Iconoclastic Beauty Founder Fighting for Greater Ethics and Kindness in the World of Self Care

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A new wave of beauty pioneers are fighting back. They’re challenging the toxic and exclusive pillars that have forever pervaded the beauty industry and, instead, creating products that encourage a more mindful, clean, inclusive approach to self-care.

One such pioneer is Jennifer Norman. Founder of Humanist Beauty, a B Corporation Certified skincare collection focused on breaking the conventional beauty standards, and The Human Beauty Movement, a positivity-focused social impact effort, Norman wants to encourage a new wellness and self-care industry—one that invites every individual to define beauty for themselves. Norman and her team call this “inclusive beauty.”

Before we investigate what inclusive beauty is, we’ll first take a look at what it is not. Household makeup and skincare brands have long used tactics that reinform ageism, binary gender expectations, racism, sexism, and ableism. Expectations around what someone should look like have sold billions upon billions worth of products. Yet, these arbitrary beauty standards have led to wide swaths of consumers falling victim to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, eating disorders, and other mental and emotional health issues. 

In tandem with these issues is the continued widespread inclusion of harmful chemicals in makeup and personal care items. A 2021 study found high levels of hazardous industrial compounds—all of which linked to grave health conditions—present in more than half of the cosmetics sold in the US.  

In short, the things created to make us feel beautiful have excluded, marginalized, and sickened consumers. Norman, along with her team behind Humanist Beauty, is flipping this script. Her focus is on ingredient purity, supply chain ethics, and care for every stakeholder involved, from her employees to consumers to the planet. “I wanted to develop a brand that went above and beyond to appreciate kindness, diversity, and well-being,” the founder says. 

When we asked how she is doing this, and what exactly she means by “inclusive beauty,” Norman is incredibly forthright. “Inclusive beauty is so much more than showing tokenistic images of women with different skin tones and hair types,” she tells us. “It extends to understanding the thoughts, feelings, frustrations, and opportunities of those who have previously been marginalized and under-represented in society. It is letting people know that we see them, hear them, and care about them deeply.”


A Conversation with Jennifer Norman

Let’s start off with the genesis of your company, Humanist Beauty. 

When I started developing the Humanist Beauty brand, I reflected on my own life experiences of being an adopted Asian American girl, and also on being the single mom of a mixed-race child living with chronic illness and disability. I wanted to develop a brand that went above and beyond to appreciate kindness, diversity, and well-being. 


How do you honor “inclusive beauty” via your brand?

Humanist Beauty stands for all races, backgrounds, skin tones, ages, abilities, gender identities, and beliefs. It lets all people know that they have value, and they matter. Some of the ways Humanist Beauty honors that is by working with diverse talent like trans model Gracie Cartier, prosthetic queer dancer Kima Dima, and unconventional curvy beauty Leah Abramson. We also support those with visual impairment or blindness by offering braille ID bands for our skincare products, Herban Wisdom Facial Oil and Herban Wisdom Eye Cream. We will continue innovating for ways to serve the abilities community even more going forward. 


What changes in the skincare and beauty industry are you most dedicated to seeing and being part of? 

More and more, beauty is being defined as wellness. It’s so much more than skin-deep. It’s about living truthfully, healthfully, and connected to everyone else in a positive way. The organization that I founded, The Human Beauty Movement, is all about embracing an ethos of beauty positivity. It’s about every human being coming to know their own true self and embracing the beauty that lives within. That way, they can then manifest that beauty out into the world as they desire rather than worrying about anyone else’s definition of beauty. 

I [recently] attended Natural Products Expo West, and I was blown away by the spirit of community and togetherness that was pervasive throughout the show. There is an enhanced focus on well-being across all categories, which is a likely response to living through an isolating pandemic such as we all did. 


Humanist has obtained B Corp status, which means you must prioritize the wellbeing of your employees, customers, and of the Planet. It’s worth noting that this is not an easy certification to obtain and maintain. Will you walk us through how Humanist makes this a priority?

I absolutely founded my business knowing that B Corp Certification was a priority, and I’m proud to say that The Human Beauty Movement was certified after 1 year of being in business. 

Being a B Corp is the gold standard of proving social and environmental impact. Given that ‘clean beauty’ means a lot of things to a lot of different people (and to some, it means nothing at all), having third-party validation such as B Corp Certification elevates brands in the marketplace as representing the best for people and the planet. Rather than putting all focus on shareholder value, which prioritizes profits, we put all our focus on stakeholder value, which is the positive benefit we’re creating for the entire ecosystem which encompasses our employees, suppliers, customers, communities, governance, and the environment. We put programs, policies, and procedures in place to ask questions like, “Do our suppliers exemplify diversity and fair wages? Are we supporting a regenerative economy? Do our products deliver holistic wellness through organic content, safety, and quality testing? How are we prioritizing community engagement and transparency?” And so on. 

B Corp Certification goes far beyond the realm of just being “clean.” It helps us assess and track our progress as a benefit company and hold ourselves accountable for living out our purpose-driven values. 


Ingredients are a critical part of your brand. How do you ensure the ingredients you use and the sources you tap into are ethical, pure, and conscious? Are there practices that a consumer can follow for vetting their own products? 

The truth of the matter is that consumers love to research ingredients yet doing so can be time-consuming. And there is a whole lot of contradictory information out there. That’s why it’s good to know there are brands, retailers, and organizations that help do the vetting for them. Clean retailer Credo Beauty allows you to click on any product’s ingredients to learn about their definitions. The EWG Skin Deep database is a good source for ingredient information. While not perfect, it’s perhaps the most comprehensive source for product safety data, and the EWG Verified seal is the strongest third-party indicator of best-in-class safety. 

I have extremely high standards when it comes to the ingredients that go into Humanist Beauty formulas. Not only do I screen for cleanliness, but I also do background checks on suppliers to vet their harvesting, processing, and manufacturing processes. I also require test results to ensure all raw bulk is clean and safe. 

[We] maintain an Ingredient Glossary where anyone can research any ingredient in our formulas to learn more about its function and safety. Transparency is an important aspect of our core values. 


To learn more about Norman and her inclusive beauty approach, visit humanistbeauty.com and the-hbm.com. 

—By Stacey Lindsay


The Main Reason for Global Hunger Is Conflict. Here Are 4 Organizations Feeding Those In Need

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As a brand that explores healthy eating and changing the food system to be more equitable and inclusive, we have our eye on food-related issues all over the world. Currently, more than 800 million people globally do not have enough to eat—and this includes people here in the US. Furthermore, nearly 45 million people are at risk of living in a famine state. 

The main driver of hunger is conflict, according to the World Food Programme. As we witness crises unfolding near and far, our hearts go out to the individuals and families gravely impacted. We know a lack of food is—and likely will continue to be—an issue many face. But we can all work to change this. We applaud the efforts of various people and organizations doing all that they can to provide sustenance to those in precarious settings. Here are four notable organizations worth supporting today. 

World Central Kitchen

José Andrés first built a name for himself as one of the world’s most notable chefs. But over the last decade, he has become one of the well-known front-line fighters of hunger. In short, if there’s a crisis, Andrés and his team are there feeding those in need. He founded World Central Kitchen to offer an immediate way to feed people when disaster hits. (World Central Kitchen volunteers also work to help re-establish local food systems.) Most recently, Andrés and his World Central Kitchen team have been providing fresh meals to people in and around Ukraine, as well as to those in Madagascar impacted by the deadly cyclone in February. Donate to World Central Kitchen

Care 

While this multi-hyphenate humanitarian organization offers a plethora of aid in more than 100 countries, Care most commonly provides nourishing food to those in places of war. Currently, team organizers and volunteers are on the front lines providing meals and medical attention to those impacted by conflict in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, and numerous other nations. A one-time donation can help to feed those facing hunger and acute malnutrition. Donate to Care

Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger strives to fight the causes, effects, and impacts of global hunger. Organizers here work to provide people in nearly 50 countries with consistent access to food and clean water, as well as medical attention. This worldwide humanitarian organization has been in existence for close to five decades now and aims to end undernutrition by 2030. Donate to Action Against Hunger

Feeding America

With a presence in every state, Feeding America is the largest hunger-focused organization in the US. For more than four decades this team of workers and volunteers has pushed to get wholesome food to children, adults, and families facing food insecurity. They also provide education around building a stronger, healthier, more equitable food system. Donate to Feeding America

A final note: In addition to supporting global organizations, there is also ample opportunity to give back to your local city. Grassroots movements working to provide meals and mutual aid are abounding today, much in response to the pandemic. The Mutual Aid Hub is a great place to research volunteer and donation opportunities in your area. 

How the Fresh Approach Mobile Farmers' Market Is Making Local Organic Foods More Accessible

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There is a food crisis in America. In 2020, the USDA estimates more than 38 million people lived in households that were food insecure, meaning they lacked consistent access to nourishing foods. As the pandemic has caused jobs to be lost and precarity to become a greater reality for more and more people, lines to soup kitchens and food banks have swelled over the last year and a half, covering miles of ground as more than 60 million individuals sought the assistance of free or reduced food programs. Across the country cities are teeming with contrasts: On one corner of a neighborhood, a farmers’ market abounds with shoppers who can afford to buy fresh produce. On the other corner, a mother struggles to keep her children fed. (And many Americans with a need for food assistance do not qualify for federal programs, such as SNAP.)

These grave facts sit in juxtaposition to the harsh realities on the other end of the US food spectrum: Nearly 40 percent of our food supply gets wasted, meaning sustenance that could have nourished people instead rots in landfills. In addition to the severe issues, swaths of the US are defined as food deserts, areas where residents have very few, or sometimes no, access to affordable, fresh, nutrient-dense foods. “Disproportionately found in high-poverty areas, food deserts create extra, everyday hurdles that can make it harder for kids, families, and communities to grow healthy and strong,” states the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

As a media and educational platform that explores food and how it impacts our lives, we cannot look away from this reality. We have an obligation to fight this. To do our part. In this light, we will be amplifying the voices and endeavors of those who are on the front lines working to eradicate the existence of food insecurity and hunger. There is serious work being done to build larger awareness around the gaps in the food system, all led by steadfast workers that stem from various walks spanning various industries, from the restaurant world to the nonprofit sector. In our new series, Prima for Good, we’ll be spotlighting organizations and individuals doing just this. Up first: The Fresh Approach Mobile Farmers’ Market, which you can learn about below.

Our conversations around food need to expand. It is imperative we recognize that with every recipe created, every restaurant visited, and every farmers’ market shopped there are people lacking equity and access to the most basic human right. We hope this series helps to build stronger awareness and understanding of the fight we must fight until every person has unobstructed, life-long access to fresh food.

 

Prima for Good Spotlight: Fresh Approach Mobile Farmers’ Market

  

Thirteen years ago, the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association founded Fresh Approach, a non-profit dedicated to bridging the gap between access to fresh farmers’ market offerings and low-income customers across the Bay Area of California. Over the years, Fresh Approach’s programs have evolved in various areas, including community gardening and urban agriculture; nutrition education; and fresh food access—which includes their Mobile Farmers’ Market program, an endeavor they started in 2013.

The Mobile Farmers’ Market concept is simple and positive: Take the freshest, seasonally picked produce grown by local farmers and bring it to nearby communities (mainly those that are low income and lacking access to fresh foods) at affordable prices—with a 50 percent discount offered to those who qualify for federal assistance benefits (or who identify as needing the benefit). A pint of organic locally picked strawberries, for instance, goes for $1.50.  “Every week, we’re providing really high-quality, California grown produce that’s better than anything nearby,” Fresh Approach food access program director Andy Ollove tells us.

When we spoke with Ollove, he told us about the plight of too many people across the US not having access—either financial, geographical, or both—to fresh produce. He says the concept of putting nourishment on wheels to bridge the gap is one he’s seeing have a continued promise. “In the last few years, the mobile farmers’ market model has been quite successful and replicated around the country,” he says. “We are actually working on beginning coalitions around mobile farmers market groups in California and have other partners nationally.”

But like any non-profit proves, the mobile farmers’ market project—albeit promising and positive—is not a sustainable business model and therefore requires grant-funding and activist minds to keep it running. While the federal program has been helpful for shoppers on CalFresh, California’s food stamp program, Ollove says those programs only help about 30 percent of the Fresh Approach Mobile Farmers’ Market shoppers. This requires Fresh Approach to continuously fundraise to be able to subsidize the remaining 70 percent of its customers who need food or financial assistance.  

Considering this, Ollove says shopping locally at your farmers’ market and finding those who are “facilitating the connections between the local farmers and the low-income populations'' is a critical way to support the efforts of nonprofits focused on food equity. “There are groups like us scattered in every city in the country, at least small and mid-size cities,” says Ollove. “There all in the same ecosystem of improving the food system toward access.”

  

To learn more about Fresh Approach and their Mobile Farmers’ Market, as well as ways to support their work, visit freshapproach.org.